Sewing-machine.



L. E. TOPHAM. SEWING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED oofnzs, 1911,

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

L. E. TOPHAM. SEWNG MACHINE. APPLUATON YILED 00125, 19ML Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

1,129,760 a Sums-SHEETS L. E. TOPI-IAM. SEWING MACHINE. APPLIGMION FILED 001.25, 19114 Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

s SHEETS-s111521 4.

riff/'11662966'.- wim /ML mma/L L. E. TOPHAM. sewme MAUHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0017.25, 19114 1 129,760. Patented Feb. 23, 1915. u `SHBETS-SHBBT 5` Wai@ 4; muv? Y m MMM w@ ff@ MM Mix L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED WM5, 1911.

Pateltd Feb. 23, 1915.

6 SHBETS-SHBET 6.

Inventor.'

Ill' l l I I I I l I l Il "'TTHTED STATES PATENT FFECE if?) CE VACHINERY COMP ANY,

Application filed cto'ber 25, 1911. Sieriai No. $56.685.

l* iwi! i'w unimi@ hir tiw wil, fi i -i 1 iiiijvcit i?? the pi iwi, El: .:myiiie' :in improv i m9 i, i'. um iu :dime i y 2L Rigiii-i in certain :md ivfiniwiif, iiffdsiewminifd puimi Liwzyciu la 'if the machins withiiii umili@ www upon im 'gmx-ia and i` uw er iii-Ait m mis? mmh 'mi' maid in miami pusiiw;

'Lim a mille ae Esprimi of the driving sin-iii'. 'i siiiizffaf-i iiirwii and driven at :i proie- 1w.' Swed iwfmw'; the smichiue is ih pl-usent inwmii'il. minm'npinte@ .'Hif-m'fif high mii im# spinaci #li-ivi? Mii-i the all wr faim iii" iii@ i @Liam iufng in operation living tim suwing of tim sesam and thv. sinw spwm nwchmiisni iwiuj; thrown. imo opmxitim'l iuil bufme hm mn.- chinu is to be stupgmii.

In the prfe-fred iig-rm if iiw invention the Slow Speed dmaiuff lziwiiimieim cmiipriw a friciim Ciuifii` i i i' (if which is cuntsmiy Trltiiivii g'iiawi am] if; incise un im dvix i; Y i" i ze n'iiw' mabber mmmtmi ing shaft [mit is mumbiv nf imving.: iung'i tudiuniiy iin-11am; t; :i5 in i'iiitoh His iiaiii tu tim, in f 'e n? tiw iiiivii.

i im EMI mi thi; msiifiimu nism has been threwn into hperiition Fn that thil presser foot is :inoniiiticzxlly raised frime the Work during: the finiti rotation (if the driving;A .shaft and heid in raised punition zitter the driving .#hnl't nonies to rest. This ne. rhziniwn fm' li l'ting the preshei 'lient is unfiler the Control el' the @nei-unir and in the iferri-tl funn of the invention the cm1- l is secured hy eonnertirir` to the devices whiifh are utilized in eoiitiwilnng; the mei-hanibir im' Shilling trom the high to the low speed driving mechanism.

in im broader iiniieets. the present in .'eiitiwn wntelnplne@` the prin'iinn nf a. inw alien driving' meehzinini which will rotate he driving shaft in either dire@ inn. t is preferred, however, tu arr-.inge the lim` :speed iis'iiinj; mifcllzinisni so thiit it rotates the iirwing :shaft in the sinne direi-thm as the hib'h speed mrchnnisin, .15 thereby theI ruta thm if the driving shaft diie; mit have to 1 Y Y ne reversed :ind the shaft .-in ne ,Jweil regardless nl the 'particular Duvel rfnisti'iaeliiifn :intl :irriingenient limits hereinziiler iezserihwi uml Chiirnnri. thi: ildmniiigeaf mi whirh will he Ohrimifg. tu theSe Skilled in the ari: freni. the specific di tien 0i the ihistrineil embodiment rf thu im enti un.

lha several] features of the privent in Yention will he eieiirly nndersond frmn :in in speeiien oi' the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in sida elevation ril.' iin Outsole Shoe sewing rnzici'iine einheiljiing the inne in their preferred form; Fig. is it phln View partly in section of it portion of the machine. illiitrziting the inw speed @lriv'` inf; nieclmniSnl, tho mechanism lrn shifting; Vfrom the high tothe low speed driving mechaniem, und mechanism for raising the. presser foot; Fig. l, is a sectinnai view taken on the ine 2li-M3 uf Fig. 2 ilnsinting' the nlech- :misnis Shown in Fig. 2 and also the tension device :1nd the connections thrnugh which the teiisinn on the thread is misused simultaneouely with the raining); of the presser fnnt; Fig. i5 it verticai snetionai View tulien 0n. :i plane passing through the dri ing Shaft; Fig. 5 is :i sectional View taken en the iine of Fig. 2 illustrating the meehaniSInS shown in Fig. l ind :n50 the prenser foot und the parts of the machine associated therewith; Fig. 6 is a Sectional View when on th'eJine. 64--6 of Fig. Q; Fig?.

there w i th.

The Werl; walmart @l the 1mi-him; is. inili ultimi iat. l. the :iwi :it the Linville ril l :unl the preview' lise? :it "3. The iiirerr niet in Inmin'reel algien the pri-Sheii'imi le er the lsf-fier @mi Hi" *mhh-h is c fnrsnwli-i'l f r linh *i [el the nii-rhinnri hf; which iifg ires-ar tout :ii-.tilxile-:i ^.;.i`mn:il,ir;liiv (hiring: the Sewing nlieiziiinn. A5 is, hilly hw`l rilimi in the lwhwmlh .igliliii-:itinn nini iu'ilihh |1iitvnl. miauw rrl'ei reti in. the pren-ser lout hirA ing essi-h ejrf'hf mi" firieriitiimh 0E the :inwhine in uil-imwl in rivet liglhilr in the: Worin in lbf-@eil pwitiri'lr lumi riifjnint thv. wiwi@ iQ iiirlwil iii il ileirissml punition :intl ik 'th-vii iiiihuiml :will rziien'i from the weil'h. these mwrvlneili. nii' thi; i'irieefr foot heilig); imi; ihn-.eil hr the aiiiwmzitie pri 'i' inrit mech :mism :Ming thrwllgh ihrs link i1. Sx lever i' iiinusllly inwiiriliri un the fir r ifint hner :m in the nmi'hirnr nl. the .Xnhn'mi'h iii'igilivriliiin. unil :w15 when it upper enel is. numeri lunaire! the relis' rat' the mnrl'iine t@ :inlet-ll; :mii thrpiimer feet. This lewii.; ifiimm'ml. 11S iii the iwhwn'th Enf.- when', in.' :i liiil; "l in im @iran Si inrfiinlr-i un :a simi il.) at the reiii nl the mmfhine. 'Ille terwien derive illuszlrnlei in Figi. if tile WE ich m'er .inni helireeii vshifh the needle thrmiii im# .1, iihe iaiisimi irlezise lever of this ieiifimi Lle'iife ineiiinteii nl. li :and is eunnrulrll. :iS in the. siihwm'th machine, hy nie/.nm nf :i lleihf wird if in ihehnrizcntil :ii-n1 nl the heli ifi-:ink il) piveed ut M nnen lhe l'rfiini nf the machine below the zii-n1 S. The voi-il li! panier; through u sheath 1.5 unil the arrangement. siii-h tlnit when the hell Crank is; melted in n` direelinn tu, raise the hnrixnntnl :mn il the. hell crank, the tension reis-ilse levi-.r 3i. is :mutilated to relieve the. tennion (in the thread.

Dui-innr the Sewing' operation, the. machine is driven through :l hnlly pulley 1:3' senin-ed to thi` enti eli the r11-.iin lriving shaft :anni connecte 'i hv :i driving heli 1G with a pulley 1T iuum'ilei! in the buse ul the nim-hina The pulir-ft' 1T is Qiinneiteil through hemel gears W with :i sleeve lil# inmnned on the counter shaft 2U und Giiriyinyg one memher il of the mitin driving Chiluh. The munies' Shaft Unwin@ the other' niemhur Q 0l lhe i-liiti-h :lnl :ihm i-:lrries the driving pulley it", through which inetion is iniliiii'teil in the` shaft. The engagement of the members 0f the driving clutch is controlled through il l) al treadle 23 connected with the clutch operating wedge 24. When the treadle is depressed, the members of the driving clutch are forced into engagement and the machine is driven at a speed depending upon the pressure which the operator applies to the treadle. When the treadle is released, the clutch members are disengaged, thus disconnecting the driving shaft of the machine from the counter shaft. The upward movement of the treadle when it 1s released also throws into operation the mechanism by which the driving shaft is driven at a low speed and by which the shaft is stopped at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations. The slow speed driving mechanism comprises a forwardly driven friction clutch consisting of the clutch members 25 and 26. The clutch member 25 is formed on a spiral gear 27 which is loosely mounted on the driving shaft 28 and is driven during the sewing operation by a spiral pinion 29 secured to a shaft 30. The shaft 30 is continuously driven from the driving Y pulley 23 through a belt 31 passing over a pulley formed on the hub of the pulley 23' and over a pulley 32 secured to the shaft 30. The other member 26 of the clutch is formed on a liange projecting from a sleeve 33 which is loosely mounted upon the driving shaft 28. The sleeve 33 is free to slide longitudinally on the shaft but is connected to rotate with the'shaft by means of a block 34 secured to the pulley 15 and arranged between lugs 35 projecting radially from the sleeve 33. The sleeve is held normally in position with the clutch members out of engagement by a spring 36 arranged in a recess in the block 34 and interposed between the bottom of. the recess and the head of a bolt which carries a plate 37 engaging the lug 35, The normal position of the clutch sleeve is determined by an adjustable stop Screw 38 which may be adjusted to maintain the clutch sleeve in proper relation to the clutch member.

When the clutch members 25 and 26 are engaged, they act as a friction brake to absorb the energy due to the momentum of the driving shaft until the shaft is rotating at the same speed as the clutch member 25, after which the driving shaft is driven forward at a predetermined low speediby the clutch until the clutch is disengaged, when the shaft is brought to rest at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations of the machine.

To enable the slow speed clutch to be thrown into operation at a predetermined time in the cycle of operations of the machine so that the driving shaft may be surely slowed down to the speed of the low speed clutch before the shaft is stopped, mechanism is provided comprising a timing cam consisting of a cam groove 39 formed in the sleeve 33 and engaged by a roll on one arm .of a bell crank lever 40. The other end of an adjustable screw threaded sleeve 47. The

bolt 46 carries a nut 48 which engages the outer end of the sleeve and holds the spring under compression. By adjusting the nut, the compression of the spring may be varied and by adjusting the sleeve 47 the slide may be adjusted to bring the locking pin into proper register with the hole in the end of the lever 40. The locking pin is forced in a direction to engage it with the bell crank lever by a spring 49 and in order that the mechanism for throwing the slow speed clutch into operation may be under the control of the operator, the lower end of the pin is connected with the treadle 23 so that the pin is held down out of engagement with the bell crank lever so long as the treadle is depressed and the main driving clutch is actingto drive the'machine. The latch 50 is also connected with the lower end of the locking pin and is arranged to engage a shoulder 5l on the slide 44 and hold the locking pin in its lower position until the treadle has been raised sufficiently to allow the locking pin to engage the bell crank lever. The latch 50 is pivotally mounted upon a block 52 secured to the lower end of the locking pin and is provided below its pivot with a horizontal portion which is acted upon by a spring 53, the tendency of which is to force the latch into engagement with the end of the slide 44. lVhile the machine is at rest, the-pin 43 is in its raise-d position in engagement with the bell crank lever 40. At this time, the latch 50 is held out of engagement with the slide 44 in the position indicated in Fig. 6 by means of an arm 54 pivoted on the machine frame and extending underneath the horizontal portion of the latch. The arm 54 is connected by a link 55 to a block 56 secured to the rod. 57 which connects the locking pin 43 with the treadle 23. The rod 57 is connected to the locking pin 43 by a pin and slot connection indicated at 58, the slot being formed in the upper end of the rod and the pin bein mounted in the block 52 at the lower end o the locking pin. lVith this construction` a certain amount of lost motion is provided between the rod l57 and the locking pin so that when the treadle is depressed and the rod 'jlowered, the pin at rst remains sta llO tionalv while the arm 5i depressed so as to permit the latch i to spring into en gagement with the end of the slide. dei. Com tinued downward movement of the rod 57 depresses the pin 43 ont of engagement with the zever 0, and as the latch 5G is depressed with the pin, the latch engages underneath the shoulder 51. W'hen the treadle 23 is released, the latch 50 prevents the upward movement of the locking pin until the arm 54 strikeshe horizontal portion of the latch and removes the hitch from beneath the shoulder 5l. lV hen this taires place, the spring 19 forces the pin upward against the under side of the bell crank lever 10, and when he hole in the lever registers with the pim the pin snaps up into the hole, thus connectingith lever with the slide dei.

The :ani gli.) is so timed that the hole in the end pt the bell crank lever is brought .o position to register with the loclring pin et the proper time in the cycle of operations of the stitch forming mechanism. When the pin is engaged with the hell crank lever, the lever is held from Increment about its pivot and the cam 3i) actin on the roll carried by the lever, shifts the c utch sleeve 33 to bring the members of the slow speed clutch into engagement. When the lever and the slide it are locked together hy the locking pin, the movement ofthe lever is resisted by the spring -15 and the force with which the inembers of the friction clntch are pressed together will depend upon the tensionuof the spring. This mayv he adjusted to secure the desired braking effect between the members of the friction clutch so that the speed of roH tation of the shaft will he slowed down and the shaft he driven at the same sJeed as the slow spi-ed clutch before the sha t is disconnected from the clutch and brought to rest. After the speed of rotation of the shzift has been slowed down, the continued rotation ot' the sha ft b v the slow speed clutch causes the can! El? lo disengage the clutch members so that the shaft is disconnected from ail Vlr-ivA ing mechanism and is brought to rest.

The presser foot lifting mechanism illustrated in the drawings comprises a lever 5U arranged to be engaged hy a cam h'U driven from the driving shaft of the machine. The lever .39 is mounted upon a Sleeve (il so that when actuated by the cam it moves in a pinne at right angles to the axis of the cam shaft. The sleeve lll is provided with an npwardlv projecting arm (n` which is connected hv means of a link 53 to the upper end of the hell eranli lever 13. A pin (il projects from the upper end of the bell crank 13 and is arranged to engarre a stop screw in an arm G13 projecting trom the huh of the arm 9 which is connected to the presser foot lifting lever 7 as hereinbefore described. An actuation of the lever 5U by the cam G0 through 6j the connections above described swings the 'igieejeo upper end of the lever 7 toward the rear of the machine and raises the presser foot. This takes place during the final rotation of the driving shaft as the machine is brought to rest. During the normal operation of the machine in sewing a seam the lever 59 is out of operative engagcxnent with the cam 60 so that the lever remains idle. Just before the machine is stopped, however, the lever 59 iS moved into the path of the cam 60 and as the machine comes to rest the lever rides up on the raised 'portion of the cam and the presser foot is lifted from the work. To enable the lever 59 to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cem 60, the lever is pivotally connected to the sleeve 6l by a. pivot 67 arranged at right angles to the axis of the sleeve. At its lower end and at the rear of the sleeve (il the lever 59 is provided with a horizontallv extending portion 68 and the free end o this portion 68 is ollfset and provided with a stud 69 substantially in alinement With the axis of the sleevel. The stud G9 is engaged by the forward end of n lever 70, the rear end of which is connected by e link il to the locking pin 43, the construction being such that a downward movement of the locking pin moves the lever 59 about its pivot 67 so that its upper end is at one side of the cam 60 and out of operati ve relation therth. While the machine is running the pin 43 is held depressed and consequently the mechanism for raising the presser foot is inoperative. Dui-in f the operation of stopping the machine, iowever, the pin 43 is raised into its highest position and at this time the lever 7() is moved in a direction to allow the lever 59 tobe swung about a pivot 67 into the path ot the eem G0. This return movement of the lever 59 is produced by means olB the spring 72 connected to the horizontal portion F58 of the lever. The operative relation of the lever 59 with the ar'm {Si} is maintained and the strain on the pivot pin 137 when the iever 59 is actuated by the earn il() is relieved by a projection 73 on the firm [l2 arranged to beer against the rear side of the'lever 59. The axial arrangcn'ient of the stud (i9 with relation to the Sleeve (il maintains the stud at all times in operative relation with the lever T0 since the stud is not displaced with relation to the lever when the presser foot lifting mechanism is actuated by the cam 60.

li` is often desirable orthe operator to drop the presser foot u 0n the Work before starting the machine. his result is secured in the construction illustrated in the drawings b v arranging the connections between the pin 43 and the lever 59 so that the first portion of the downward movement of the pin moves the lever 59 ont of operative rela.- tion with the cam1 this movement of the lever taking place before the lockin pin is completely withdrawn from the be l crank 40.

message in the fzoostruction illustrated in the draw# ings. there a certain amount of iost motion in the connection between the link 7l and the pin 43. These connections consist of a slot 'il formed in the upper end of the link Tl and a pin 'T5 projecting from the block at the lower end of the pin through the slot Ti, This lost motion between the link 7l and the pin 43 allows the pin to move upwardly into engagement with the bell crank -il while the lever 5l) still remains out of operative relation `.with the cam 60. To hold the lex-cr 59 out of operativerelation with the cam 60 until the pin 43 has securely engaged the bell crank lever 40, a spring latch T6 is provided mounted upon the upper rnd of. the link 7l and arranged to engage beneath the projection 77 secured to the slide il. While the machine is running the pin t3 is in its lowered position and the latch TG is lacneah and in line with the pro jection 7T. when the treadle is released to stop the machine. the upward movement of the link T1 is inerente-d oy the engagement of the latch 'Cf/'3 with the under surface of the projection TT. The latch remains in engage .ment with the projection until the pin 43 snaps into the hole i2 in the lever 40. `When this occurs the action of the cam 39 in throwing in the ioiv speed clutch moves the slide. 1li slightly to the left, as viewed in Fig. 6. against the tension of the spring 45. This moi ement of the slide 44 acting on the linlr il through the pin-and-slot connection Tit-*T5 swings the iink about its pivotal connection with the lever and moves the latch 7G out oi engagement with the projec-4 tion '(7, and allows the link 71 to rise andi the lever 59 of the presser foot lifting` mechanism to he moved into operative relation with its cam 60. The mechanism for lifting the presser foot as the machine is stopped is therefore controlled in its operation by the mechanism which throws in the low speed driving mechanism. In the construction illustrated in the drawings the lever 59 and cam 60 in addition to forming a part of the presser foot raising mechanism also act as a brake and positive stop to insure the stopping of the drivin shaft at apredcterniined point in the oycz of operations of the machine the lever pressing against the cam acting as a. brake and the shoulder on the cam acting as a positive stop. As has already been described, the lever 59 is moved out of engagea'icnt with the cam 60 before the main driving clutch is thrown into operation so that these arts offer no resistance to the starting of t e machine.

The mechanism shove described for raising the presser foot at the completion of the sewing operation also oscillates the bell crank 13 and through the connecting cord 12 and tension release lever 1l releases the binatiom stitch tension on the thread simoitam the raising of the presser foi machine comes to rest therriore, is released by the presser foot a' i" thread is released by the parts of the machine offer no the immediate removal of the u The nature and scope of the s" 'f tures of the invention haring L. cated and the preferred einhoffimf several features ol the. invention hai described, what is claimed is: Y

l. A. shoe sewing machine, ha" i i hination, stitch forming devires. low speed driving mechanisms (hc presser foot, means under the con operator for throwing the low ing mechanism into operation predetermined time in the operdion :it ihr machine, means for stopping the machine while it is being driven at a pir-il tern-ih uniform speed hy the low speed n cl.. and mechanism normally inopcra v' the sewin of a seam operating auto; cally to li t the presser foot from the as the machine is stopped. .2o

2. A shoe sewin machine, having, iu our hination, stitch orming mechanism. Vi and lovv spoed driving mechanism the.. a presser foot, vmeans under the contr-f the operator automatically to shii't to low spec-d driving mechanism, means stopping the machine While it is lieingdr by said low speed inechanisn'l, and ine-fhanism for lifting the presser 'foot thrown into operation by said shifting means.

3. A shoe sewin machine',having. in voor orniing devices. a high speed driving mechanism therefor, :i low speed driving mechanism therefor arranged to drive the machine in the same. direction as the high speed mechanism` a. presser foot, means under the control. of the operator for throwing the low speed driving mechanism into operation at a certain predetermined time in the operation of the machina, means 1 for stopping the machine while it is being driven at a. predetermined uniform speed by said low speed mechanism, and mechanism normally inoperative during the sev."in; v ot the seam operating automatically to lilt the is presser foot from the Worlr as the marhnra 1s stopped.

4. A shoe sewing machine, havin-e. combination, stitch forming devices, i ing shaft and suitable connections heir.: said shaft and the stitch forming de a resser foot, means oicrating anca Iy to lock and unloclr the presser during each cycle of operations' of the sli forming devices, means under the com of the operator for stopping the drw` shaft at a certain predetermined point io the cycle of operations, and mechanism c i wir :rally inoperative during the sevvin cf the seam operating automatically during the forward rotation of the driving shaft to unlock the presser foot and lift the presser foot from the work as the machine is stopped.

5. A slice sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, adrivshaft and suitable connections between said shaft and the stitch forming devices, a presser foot, driving mechanism includin'T a starting and stopping treadle, a low speed clutch comprising a friction clutch member connected to rotate with the drive shaft, a cam driven by the clutch member, an actuating lever operated by the cam, a locking pin operated by the treadle for rendering the lever and cam active to shift the clutch member when the treadle is actuated to stop the machine, and presser foot lifting mechanism controlled by said locking pin operating automatically to lift the presser foot from the Work as the machine is stopped.

G. A shoe sewing machine, having, m

combination, stitch forming mechanism, high and low speed driving mechanisms therefor, a presser foot, shifting mechanism operating automaticallyY when thrown into operation to shift to the lon7 speed driving mechanism, means for stopping the machine While it is being driven by said low s eed mechanism at a predetermined unilibrm speed, presser foot lifting mechanism normally inoperative during the sewin of the seam, and means under the contro of the operator for rendering said shifting and presser foot lifting mechanisms active.

7. A shoe sewing machine, having, in' combination, stitch forming devices, high and low speed drivingmechanisms therev for, a presser foot, means for stopping the machine while it is being driven at a predetermined uniform speed by the low speed mechanism, presser foot liftin mechanism normally inoperative during te -serving of the seam, and means under the control of the operator for shifting from the high speed to the low speed mechanism and for rendering the presser foot lifting mechanism operative to lift the presser foot from the work as the machine is stopped.

8. A shoe sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a high speed driving mechanism therefor, a low speed driving mechanism therefor arranged to drive the machine in the same direction as thehigh speed mechanism, a presser foot, means for stopping the machine While it is being driven by said low speed mechanism, presser foot lifting mechanism normally inoperative during the Sewing of the same, and means under the control of the operator for shifting to the low speed mechanism and for rendering the presser foot lifting mechanism operative to raise the presser loot from the work as the machine is stopped.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM. Witnesses:

FRED O. FISH, VVAmmN G. OGDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

It` is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,129,760, granted February 23,'

1915, upon the application of Laurence E. Topham, 0f Beverly, Massachusetts, for

an improvement in "Sewing-Machines. errors appear in the printed specification requiring eorreetimi as follows: Page 5, line 93, for the word "n1eellanism"` rewd mechanisms; emile page, line 112, strike ont the words nt a predetermined uniform speed"g page 6, line 62, for the word same"` read seam; and that the said Letters Patent should ne read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oiiee.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of March, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Uommsmwr of Patents. 

